Brekken Proudhorn
Background Brekken was born into the Boulderhoof Tribe; a small, virtually unknown tribe of Shu'halo who wandered through the canyons of the Thousand Needles. He lived a relatively normal lifestyle, showing a great affinity for the hunt. The Tribe were firm believers in the Animal Spirits, and each member would go on an Animal Totem Spirit Quest upon reaching adulthood, which would determine their Spirit Guardian. Brekken's was a black bear. Brekken also concieved a son, Henkel, in his early years, though his mother left them after the birth. Destruction of the Boulderhoof Like many Shu'halo tribes, the Boulderhoof had many troubles with the local Centaur. One night, seemingly for no reason at all, the Centaur raided the Boulderhoof's camp. It was a massacre, and nearly all of the Boulderhooves were wiped out. Brekken, along with Henkel and a small band of survivors, made for the Barrens, where they wandered for years in constant fear of the Centaur, Quillboar, Harpies and Grimtotems who dwelt there. Formation of the Horde and the calling to Druidism When the Horde arrived on Kalimdor, Brekken, along with all other Shu'halo, were overjoyed at the new alliance. But while the newly formed Horde headed off to Mount Hyjal, Brekken and the other Boulderhooves remained behind, embold ened by the recent victory over the Centaur. Brekken slaughtered any Centaur he came across, thirsting for vengence for his fallen Tribe. Yet in time the hunger for vengence was dampened as Brekken came to understand the error of his ways. He stopped his war of hatred, and arrived at the newly settled Thunder Bluff. There he met Otheym, one of the newly trained Shu'halo Druids. Brekken instantly took an interest in Druidism, believing it to be a way to become closer to the Great Bear Spirit, his Guardian Spirit. Eventually, Otheym agreed to teach him. Passing Time and Meeting with the Furbolg Around this time, Brekken's son, Henkel, who had become quite the powerful warrior by this time, was driven to the Plaguelands by stories of the heroism of the Argent Dawn. He left Thunder Bluff and sailed across the sea to meet his destiny. Meanwhile, while heroes of the Alliance and Horde battled the likes of Nefarion and C'thun, Brekken remained in Thunder Bluff learning from old Otheym and helping his people in any way he could. During this relatively peaceful time (for him), Brekken took to exploring the surrounding lands of Kalimdor. During one of these explorations, Brekken came across the Timbermaw Furbolgs. Fascinated by this race of bear-men, Brekken did his best to earn their trust and friendship, and eventually won it. In the Timbermaw village of Ursolan, Brekken learned of the Furbolg's twin gods, Ursoc and Ursol, as well as the many other Ancient gods of the forest. Moved by his fascination and desire for friendship, the Furbolg eventually named him an honorary member of their tribe. Edric Fendring Shortly after Illidan Stormrage's defeat in Outland, Scourge activity in the Plaguelands took a sharp turn. While out on patrol, Henkel Boulderhoof encountered one of the servants of the Scourge, a human Death Knight named Edric Fendring. A great battle ensued, but it seemed that Henkel, along with his Argent allies, would prevail. However, as Fendring breathed his last, he managed to transfer his own soul into Henkel's using his Runeblade. Thus Henkel became a dark minion of the Scourge himself. Back on Kalimdor, Brekken worried greatly for his son, having heard no word from him in weeks. Sick with worry, Brekken resolved to leave Kalimdor and make his first trip to the Eastern Kingdoms. The Stormrock Clan While in Orgrimmar, Brekken stumbled upon the Stormrock Clan, a group of Orcs, Tauren and Trolls stationed in Kalimdor. Interested, Brekken sought out their leader, Iriako Stormrock. The two got along at once, and before day's end, Brekken found himself a probationary Clan member. At this time, he simply believed it would be good to have someone to call upon if he was in need of assistance, yet he never could have forseen the bond he would form with the Clan and its members. The Plaguelands Wasting no time, Brekken made for the Plaguelands immediately. Seeing the Plaguelands in their vile state filled him with sadness and a resolve to help in some way, but he knew it would have to wait. Hiring a guide, Brekken made for Light's Hope Chappel, only to meet the corrupted Henkel along the way. Not seeming to recognize his father, Henkel attacked him, killing the guard and wounding Brekken badly. As luck would have it, Brekken was found and rescued by Argent Dawn members. Seeing that Brekken sought to return to the Scourge-controlled lands in search of his son, the Dawn forced him to return to Kalimdor. Furious yet beaten, Brekken vowed to grow in strength until he could return and free his son from the Scourge's grasp. The Wrath of the Lich King Brekken did, indeed, gain in strength, perfecting his abilities in his Lion and Bear forms. However, before he could return to the Plaguelands, the Battle of Light's Hope Chapel occured. Henkel, along with many other Death Knights, were freed of the Lich King's control. The War against the Lich King had begun. Henkel made his way to Orgrimmar, where Brekken had been training and working alongside the Stormrocks, his bond with them slowly growing stronger. Their reunion was short lived, however, as strange and violent occurances going on within the Stormrock Clan demanded their attention. T'kana Iceheart One of Brekken's closest friends in the Stormrock Clan was T'kela the Stormbringer, a young Troll Shaman. Like Brekken, she too had a member of her family tainted by the Scourge. Her sister, the fiendish Death Knight, T'kana Iceheart, driven by some remaining power the Lich King held over her, began assaulting members of the Horde, including the Stormrock Clan. Learning of this, Henkel Boulderhoof began hunting her down, against Brekken's wishes. She led him to the lands of Desolace, where she led a small band of Scourge warriors. Henkel resolved to fight his way through them all, but was stopped before he had the chance. T'kana, using her power, had managed to coax a small fragment of the soul of the human, Edric Fendring, out of dormancy. Now controlling Henkel's body, Fendring swore himself to T'kana, vowing to help her destroy the Horde. Their unholy alliance was short lived, however, as warriors of the Stormrock Clan arrived at their base and cut down their minions. In the heat of battle, Fendring encountered the Orc Warrior, Dal'rok Blackfang. The two battled fiercly, but in the end, Fendring was defeated. Before his soul was able to depart, however, T'kana managed to capture it, absorbing it into her runeblade, and fled with it. Henkel's spirit was left behind to make its way into the next life... War in the North Brekken was not angry with Dal'rok over the death of his son, knowing that there was no other way to help. His grief was strong, but he forced it down, staying focused on the task at hand; the newly-declared war against the Lich King. Having seen what the Dark Lord was capable of, Brekken joined with the other Stormrock soldiers to help bring about his defeat. During his time in Northrend, Brekken took part in many adventures and fought many battles. Much of his attention was focused on the Furbolg city of Grizzlemaw, and how he could aid its citizens in overcoming their corruption. Brekken also worked alongside the Oracles of Sholazar Basin and the Wyrmrest Accord, learning much about Druidic history from the Green Dragons. Archdruid, the Council of Stormrock, and the Banepaw Fellowship Throughout the war, Brekken's powers in combat and understanding of the Druidic arts, as well as his standing within the Stormrock Clan, slowly increased. One day, it was discovered that Iriako Stormrock, Chieftain of the Clan, was stricken with a debilitating illness that affected his eyesight. Not only that, but his wife, Alisanoka Stormrock, was declared pregnant with their first child. Desiring some time to rest and recover, the two went to Nagrand, but not before appointing T'kela the Stormbringer to acting Chieftain. One of her first acts as acting Chieftain was to offer Brekken the position of Archdruid, and a seat on the newly formed Council of Stormrock. Brekken had his doubts, and meditated on the matter at great length, but eventually decided to accept her offer, becoming a Councilor along with T'kela and the Orcs Dal'rok Blackfang and Erier Fireiris. Unfortunately, council meetings rarely went without a hitch, as the thoughts and opinions within the Council varied greatly. Many months passed, with infighting becoming more and more frequent. Eventually, T'kela had had enough and departed from the Clan entirely. The loss of T'kela hit Brekken hard, but so too did the realization that Stormrock was slowly dying out, its members leaving in great numbers. Disheartened by this, Brekken finally decided to depart the Clan himself, believing its days to be over. While working on his own, Brekken met the Elder Shaman, Gulmorgron, and his allies in the Banepaw Fellowship. Touched by their sense of unity and their faith in the Raptor Spirit (a Spirit Brekken's own tribe had believed in) Brekken asked Gulmorgron is he could take part in their company for a time. Gulmorgron agreed, and Brekken became a part of the Banepaw Fellowship. The Return His time in the Fellowship was short lived, however. Brekken soon learned that Iriako Stormrock had returned with his wife and newborn daughter, and sought to find the Clan's lost and departed members. Brekken, still a Stormrock at heart, took his leave from the Banepaws, and sought out Iriako. He was accepted back into the Clan without question, and a new age of prosperity for Stormrock ensued, with Brekken retaining his mantle of Archdruid. Twilight Corruption While adventuring in Northrend, Brekken was captured by Twilight's Hammer Cultists. For reasons of their own (see Iriako Stormrock's wiki page for elaboration) they sought the downfall of the Clan, and used Brekken as an instrument to achieve it. They took control of his mind, and tainted the Air Spirit within the Stormrock's Wind Totem; their means of communicating across great distances. The taint had a horrifying effect, filling some Stormrock member with mind-numbing fear and actually controlling the minds of others. Brekken, under the control of the Twilight's Hammer, attacked Stormrock members, nearly killing an officer. Luckily, with the help of fellow Clan members, Brekken was freed and the corruption of the totem removed. Brekken could not enjoy this victory, however. Something inside him had been altered by the Twilight's work. He would get into strange moods and refrain from eating for days at a time. Although he did recover from this state somewhat, the grim edge he had developed would always remain with him. Domestic Life At around this time, Brekken met two Shu'halo women; Nyralia Ragetotem and Recola Proudhorn. Recola, a kind and motherly Druid, and fellow member of the Clan, became friends with Brekken as soon as they met. The two obviously felt a strong bond, though not the kind of bond felt between mates. Brekken met the young Nyralia in Silvermoon City, and took to her imediately. At first he thought only of recruiting her into the Clan (which he did manage to do) but as he spent more and more time with her, he realized that he may truly be in love with her. Nyralia seemed to share the same feelings, at first, and the two began a relationship which would eventually lead them to becoming mates. Unfortunately, their union was fraught with sadness. Soon after they began living together, they discovered that Nyralia was pregnant. Brekken was overjoyed, but the feeling did not last. While visiting Silvermoon City, Nyralia was poisoned, and the child was lost. Brekken's grieved for many weeks before finally returning to some sense of normalcy. Hope returned to him, however, as Nyralia became pregnant once again. This time the child survived; a daughter who they named Viela. Brekken's joy was short lived, unfortunately, as he learned that Nyralia had been having an affair with an Elf of Silvermoon, a confusing and thouroghly unsettling thought. Brekken was enraged, but Nyralia truly seemed to regret her infidelity. Grudgingly, he took her back. Time passed, and Brekken finally mustered the courage to ask Nyralia to be his life-mate. However, the greatest of horrors was still to come. For as Brekken returned to their home in Thunder Bluff after a day in Northrend, he discovered that Nyralia had killed herself, having leapt from the Bluff. In the note she left him, she explained that she had not been in love with him, and was actually in love with the Elf she had had an affair with. The Elf had apparently died in battle not long before, and Nyralia sought to be with him in the afterlife. Brekken, needless to say, was beyond horrified. As the Stormrock Clan discovered the note and Nyralia's body, Brekken took flight to Feralas, where he stayed for many days, his mind shattered by grief. It was Recola Proudhorn who eventually found him and returned him to Thunder Bluff. After finally managing to clear his mind as best he could, Brekken left the Bluff with Viela and the few posessions he owned, with the intention of returning to a nomadic lifestyle, wandering throughout the Barrens. Although he did never settle again, his loyalty to the Stormrock Clan held him fast, and he would continue to aid them in any way he could. Proudhorn During this sensitive time, Recola approached Brekken and asked him if he would like to become an honorary member of her family, as her new brother. The two did, indeed, get along like brother and sister, and Brekken accepted, feeling honored by her offer. After a brief naming ceremony, attended by Erier Fireiris and other Stormrock soldiers, Brekken and Viela took the name of Proudhorn for themselves. The Dragonbane Clan For reasons unknown to the Stormrocks, Chieftain Iriako had once again departed, naming Erier Fireiris as acting Chieftain. There seemed to be some tension between Erier and other members of the Clan, especially Recola. One night, in Mulgore, Erier and Recola got into a fight, which resulted in Erier being badly wounded. The Stormrocks sought to imprison Recola, but Brekken would not allow it, helping her escape before she could be taken. Knowing that such an act would condemn him in the eyes of the Clan, Brekken once again decided to leave the Clan. With nowhere else to go, Brekken and Recola sought the aid of a fellow Stormrock fallout, Baelin. Baelin had begun his own Clan, the Dragonbane Clan, along with his mate. Brekken and Recola were eagerly accepted into the Clan, Baelin and Brekken having become friends during their time in Stormrock, but the prosperity did not last, as Recola did not want to endanger the Dragonbanes by having them harbor her. She agreed to accept whatever punishment the Stormrocks saw fit. However, at the time of her punishment, she was nowhere to be found, apparently having fled. A Return Short Lived Knowing that his bond to the Stormrocks was unbreakable, Brekken eventually returned, asking for forgiveness. He was granted it, and let back into the Clan. However, his time as Archdruid was over, and he was placed at the lowest rank of the Clan, having to work his way back up. Thus, his position was changed from leader to a common soldier. The soldier's lifestyle seemed not to agree with him, however, as he slowly became embittered by his station. As the war in Northrend reached a close, Brekken once more departed the Clan, alerting no one. The hard life he had lead had impressed itself upon him, and he needed time to fully recover from all the grief and rage. Regretably, he would have little time to do so. The Shattering Brekken witnessed firsthand the betrayal of the Grimtotems in Thunder Bluff, the Shattering of the Southern Barrens and the razing of Camp Taurajo. Watching his people suffer so awakened a sense of duty in him he had rarely felt before, even for the Stormrocks. He devoted his whole life to keeping the Alliance at bay in the Southern Barrens, as well as assisting the Druid, Naralex, in containing the Overgrowth. As time passed, he began to grow distant from all other things, including his own daughter. At the same time, a deep need seemed to awaken within him, bringing to mind old visions and dreams he had had in the past. Knowing that a change was on the horizon, he decided to travel to the Northern Barrens. There, surprisingly, he encountered Stormrock soldiers. Though there seemed to be many new ones, a few, including Nhuala Baenhoof, knew him and offered him a warm greeting. He assisted them on a brief mission, and then departed. Present Time Brekken encountered other Stormrocks and friends from the old days. After almost a year of fighting in the Southern Barrens, he finally rejoined the Clan, believing his mind stable once more. After conversations with Erier Fireiris, now the Farseer of the Clan, Brekken knows that to have a better life and to be a better father, he must change his ways drastically, no longer submitting to the rage and carnage his feral ways embrace. To that end, he has taken flight to Hyjal for the first time in the hopes of learning more about the powers of Druidism and its history. Category:Tauren